Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-11-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate on light offerings. Steer calves weighing less than 550 lbs sold mostly 10.00-14.00 lower, 550-649 lbs steers sold steady to 3.00 lower. Heifer calves 400-599 lbs sold mostly 4.00-6.00 lower, heifer calves over 600 lbs sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Demand this sale was very uneven. A strong winter storm is currently hitting much of the central US, including all major feeding regions. This has many buyers shut down this week as a result. Market activity this week was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers all backed off prices for cows destined for immediate harvest as heavy supplies continue to be seen. Packers also backed up feeding cow prices as many say their feedlots are all near capacity. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00 lower on lean cows. Boning and breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower on all ages of cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows sold on mostly good demand this sale with many buyers in the stands actively bidding on offerings. Cows suitable to re-breed sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $155.69/cwt on 1,151 head.

Average price

$155.69

1,151 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$856

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$86

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$20.95/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.73

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	551	155.95	859	991
Large 1	546	154.92	845	86
Medium and Large 1-2	542	154.81	838	68
Medium 2	573	135.00	774	6thin

One grade step is worth $20.95/cwt here — about $86 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1,151 hd

155.69

—

MT average5 barns · 4,300 hd

157.42

−1.73

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,661	71.83	1,193	32
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,613	66.00	1,065	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,438	52.17	750	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,144	40.68	465	95
Steers	Prime	Average	1,785	82.50	1,473	2thin

Every lot, as filed

74 lots · USDA AMS · Miles City Livestock Commission Auction - Miles City, MT

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	423	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	630	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	450	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	698	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	678	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	888	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	536	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	777	12
Heifers	Large 1	—	836	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,120	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,042	133.77/cwt	133.50–136.00	1,394	9
Heifers	Large 1	—	435	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	646	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,174	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	532	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	779	42
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	465	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	628	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	938	134.25/cwt	133.00–134.50	1,259	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	892	136.25/cwt	136.00–136.50	1,215	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	382	147.65/cwt	147.00–148.00	564	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	477	159.76/cwt	158.50–163.00	762	85
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	388	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	553	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	391	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	626	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	416	150.19/cwt	147.50–154.00	625	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	484	148.41/cwt	141.00–154.50	718	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	554	137.05/cwt	134.00–137.50	759	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	133.90/cwt	132.50–134.50	821	92
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	139.46/cwt	134.00–145.00	728	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	945	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,210	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	610	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	772	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	154.17/cwt	147.00–159.00	888	246
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	396	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	689	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	823	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	577	152.10/cwt	146.00–154.25	878	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	715	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	420	165.03/cwt	157.50–170.00	693	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,292	50.83/cwt	44.50–62.00	657	107
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,312	55.93/cwt	45.00–69.00	734	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	367	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	523	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	484	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	697	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	442	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	654	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	836	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,124	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	520	138.83/cwt	130.00–141.00	722	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	585	125.17/cwt	125.00–125.50	732	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	429	142.76/cwt	141.00–144.50	612	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	628	147.47/cwt	143.50–151.50	926	147
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	445	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	676	9
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	509	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	781	26
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	603	155.75/cwt	155.75–155.75	939	46
Steers	Medium 2	—	573	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	774	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	179.25/cwt	177.00–181.50	758	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	484	161.59/cwt	156.00–178.00	782	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	507	161.48/cwt	157.50–163.50	819	94
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	581	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	747	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	733	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,019	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	265	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	603	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	178.78/cwt	175.00–188.50	683	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	179.30/cwt	170.00–181.00	760	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	144.18/cwt	139.50–146.00	956	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	539	153.05/cwt	145.00–156.00	825	91
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	156.89/cwt	155.00–175.00	745	108
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	329	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	485	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	960	88.76/cwt	69.00–101.00	852	106
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	73.20/cwt	59.00–82.00	794	43
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,338	58.77/cwt	54.00–65.50	786	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,170	45.11/cwt	38.00–47.00	528	59
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,179	45.65/cwt	39.00–48.00	538	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,141	52.96/cwt	46.50–55.50	604	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	154.38/cwt	150.00–155.25	888	134
Steers	Prime	—	1,785	82.50/cwt	82.50–82.50	1,473	2
Bulls	—	—	1,465	61.50/cwt	61.50–61.50	901	1
Bulls	—	—	2,108	82.71/cwt	82.50–83.00	1,744	2
Bulls	—	—	1,666	76.01/cwt	72.50–79.50	1,266	13
Bulls	—	—	1,614	67.71/cwt	58.50–73.50	1,093	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	48.50/cwt	48.50–48.50	643	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	710	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,510	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	906	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,613	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	1,065	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,154	33.64/cwt	30.00–36.00	388	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,146	41.33/cwt	35.00–43.50	474	87
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	885	33.50/cwt	33.50–33.50	296	1

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →